1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in float tubes used by fishermen to float on the surface of a body of water. More particularly, the present invention relates to apparatus for mounting a sonar device to float tubes.
2. State of the Art
Pneumatic tubes having a seat for supporting a person floating on a body of water are commonly referred to as float tubes. Rather than use a boat, many fishermen use the float tubes for fishing while floating in relative isolation from others on a body of water. The fisherman usually puts on waterproof waders and sits in a seat built in to the float tube. The float tube is quite similar to an inflated rubber inner tube, but has a seat positioned in the open torus of the tube for the fisherman to sit in. The fisherman's legs and feet are suspended in the water beneath the float tube. The fisherman usually wears a pair of flippers on his feet to act as a means of propulsion.
Examples of float tubes and variations in their construction a shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,687,452; 4,601,667; 3,324,488; 2,958,876; and 2,894,270. It has been suggested to improve float tubes by providing powered means for propelling the float tube on the surface of the body of water rather than requiring the fisherman to use flippers on his feet for propulsion. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,722. To the present inventor's knowledge there has been no suggestion of an improvement in a float tube whereby a sonar device can be carried on the float tube to determine the conditions in the water beneath the float tube. Such sonar devices themselves are commercially available for being mounted permanently on a boat. The sonar units are commonly called fish finders and do indeed aid the fisherman in finding the optimum place for fishing. It would be highly desirable to provide improved means for employing such sonar devices with fishermen's float tubes.
3. Objective
The principal objective of the present invention is to provide a novel, improved means for mounting a sonar device on a float tube above the water line when the float tube is floating on a body of water, with the sonar transmitter being mounted below the water line thereby providing an improvement in fishermen's float tubes that will greatly increase the usefulness of the float tubes by allowing the fisherman to position the float tube in an area of the body of water for optimum fishing.